Odisha villagers build bridge, show the way
BERHAMPUR: Tired of the apathy of the administration, residents of Janakpur village in Rajpanka panchayat of R Udayagiri block in Gajapati district, have built a bridge over a nullah (ravine) in the area. The nullah termed ‘kalema’ by the locals is five feet deep and has a sharp under-current as it gets water from nearby hills and forest. Since Janakpur is on the border of Gajapati and Rayagada, villagers from both the districts cross the nullah which connects Raipanka with Ladiguda in Guluba panchayat. The locals have been demanding a bridge over the nullah and were assured of action time and again by the elected representatives. A bridge over the nullah was swept away after heavy rains last month.
Recently, the villagers, in a meeting decided to build a makeshift bridge over the nullah and every household contributed Rs 1,000 for the purpose. The bridge was constructed at Rs 52,000. Manoj Padhy, a social worker of R Udayagiri said the nullah connects around 20 villages and is vital for people in the area. “After all our appeals to build a permanent bridge over the nullah went in vain, we constructed a temporary structure over it by pooling in funds,” he said.
Janakpur has electricity connection but the supply is erratic. Ramesh Karji, a local said, the village gets power two days a week. He alleged none of the villagers have so far been given job cards for work under various Central and State government schemes. Though no local authorities commented on the problems in the village, sources in the block office said a proposal has been sent to the district administration to construct a bridge over the nullah under Biju Setu Yojana.